Operating mechanism for temper screws



p l 7, 1931- F. v. KESSELMAN ET AL. 1,799,171

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TEMPER SCREWS 'Filed May 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheetl April 7, 1931.

F. V. KESS ELMAN ET AL OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TEMPER SCREWS Filed May,7, 1930 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 aVENTORS w llt4Wllill\lmttllllllllllWWPatented Apr. 7, 1931 PATENT oFrlcs v FLOYD VeKESSELMAN'AND LOUIS r.KESSELMAN, or BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA OPERATING MECHANISM non 'rnmrnzasonnws Application filed May 7, 1930. Serial 1%. 450,440..

Our invention relates to well drilling apparatus and more particularlyto the operating mechanism for the temper or turn-down screws thereof.

In the drilling of wells with standard rigs, wherein the drill bit issupported from a drill line and reciprocated vertically by a walkingbeam, it is customary for the driller to let out or turn-down thedrilling line periodically by a manually-operated screw as the drill bitpenetrates the earthduring its up and down movement.

One object of our invention is to provide means whereby the drillingline is fed up or down automatically during oscillation of the walkingbeam to whichthe drilling line is secured.

Another object of our invention is to provide means whereby the drillingline is fed up or down through movement of and in direct relation to theoscillatory movements of the walking beam.

One form which our invention may take is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, in side elevation, of astandard drilling rig with our invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is aview, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig.2, but on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a view, on an enlarged scale, ofstill another portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1'; Fig. 5 is a sectionalView taken at right angles to the view of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is adetailed plan view of a portion of the apparatus of Figs. 4 and 5.

In Fig. 1, a portion of a derrick is indi- 'rection, the pawl 26 willengage the teeth of cated by the numeral 8. A walking beam 9 is operatedin the usualmanner from a band wheel 10 toef'fect reciprocationvertically of a drilling line 11, to the lower end of which a drill bit,not shown, is secured. The line 11 is connected to a temper screw 12 bymeans of a rope clamp 13, and the temper screw has threaded engagementwith a screw frame 14, which is supported on the walking beam by aT-head or saddle member 15. These parts may be of any form well-known inthe art.

During the drilling operation it is of course necessary to let out orfeed down the drilling line. 11 periodically so that the bit will alwayseffect slight penetration at the bottom of the hole during each downstroke thereof. Heretofore, this progressive feeding of the line hasbeen efi'ected by means of a handle such as 16 that is connected to thescrew 12 and which the driller turns from time to time as may benecessary, to rotate the screw in its frame lt, and thus .lower the line11. As heretofore stated,our invention resides primarily in means forautomatically eifecting lowering of the line, and to an extent in directrelation with'the degree of'oscillation of the beam, and hence rendersunnecessary the manual loweringthereof by the driller.

To this end, we provide'means for rotating the screw 12 in its frame 14slightly during the down stroke-of the bit.

On the beam 9, we mount arack bar 17 that is Slidably supported in'aslideway 18. The rear end of this rack bar is connected through a, link19 toafixed supporting member20 that may be secured to apost 21orotherwise suitably anchored to a point removed from the axis ofoscillation of the beam 9. It will be seen that as the beam 9 isoscillated, the rack bar 17 willslide back and forth in its guideway 18.

A pinion 22 is mounted upon the walking beam and meshes with the rackbar 17 so that it will be oscillated during reciprocatory movement ofthe rack bar. The pinion 22 carries a" crank 23t0 which is connected alink 24 whose other end is connected to a crank 25 that carries a pawl26.

Upon movement of the link 24 in one dia ratchet wheel '27 to effect;rotative movement thereof, while during movement of the link 24 intheopposite direction, the pawl will slideover the'teeth with an idlingmovement.

"The ratchet wheel 27 is secured to a share 28 position, movement of theratchet wheel will effect rotationiof the gear wheel 29, and

a 29, the shaft 33 will be turned 'to rotate the screw 12 and lower thedrilling line. In case it is desired to elevate the bit somewhat, theclutch will be shifted into engagement with the gear wheel 30 to eifectmovement of the screw in the opposite direction.

The clutch 31 is shown as operated by a clutch yoke 35 which is in turnoperated by a rocking lever 36, the lever 36 being provided with linesor pull rods 37 and 38 on its ends whereby it may be oscillated to slidethe clutch from side to side. The clutch will ordinarily remain inoperative relation with either of the gear wheels to which it has beenmoved and is shown as locked in neutral position by means of a latch 39that is slidably mounted in a casingO. The latch is normally held inprojected position to engage the clutch yoke by means of springs. A lineor pullrod l1 is provided for withdrawing the latch 39 to permitmovement of the yoke 35. A pair of latch bolts 42 are slidably mountedon the latch member 39 and are yieldably projected. The outer sides ofthese latch bolts are beveled so that when the yoke is being moved toneutral or intermediate positi'on, it will force one of the latch boltsbackwardly and be stopped by the other one, it being necessary for theoperator to pull the line 4 1 only when it is desired to move the yokefrom its neutral position.

Vhile the invention has herein been described more particularly inconnection with the feeding down of the drilling line, it is also quiteuseful in the pulling upof the drill line for distances that arepermissible by the length of the screw. For instance, in case a bitbecomes stuck in the hole, the screw can be letdown far enough to permitspread of the drilling jars whereupon it can be fed upward'ly to take upthe slack in the jars and knock the bit loose. Furthermore, in the caseof fishing? jobs, the screw can be automatically moved upwardly to jarthe sticking toolsandgradually draw them from the well.

\Ve claim as our invention 4 -1. The combination witha walking beam anda drilling line, of vertically-adjustable meansfor supporting the line,a rack bar slidabl mounted on the beam and anchoredto a point removedfrom theaxis of o'scillationof the beam, a pinion meshing with the'rack,a 'crank-carriedby the pinion, and a link conn'ectionbetween the crankand said support- ;3 ing meansforeft'ectingverticalmovementof said meansduring oscillation of the walking beam.

2. The combination with a walking beam and a drilling line, of arotatable screw for supporting the line, a ratchet Wheel operative torotate said screw, a pawl cooperating with said ratchet wheel, a rackbar slidably mounted on the beam, a )inion meshing with the rack, acrank carrie by the pinion, and a link connection between the crank andsaid pawl for oscillating said pawl during oscillation of the walkingbeam.

3. The combination with a walking beam and a drilling line, of rotatablemeans for supporting the line, a rack bar member mounted for movementlongitudinally of itself and of the beam, a pinion member meshing withthe rack bar, one of said members being mounted on the walking beam, alink connecting the last-named member to a point removed from the axisof oscillation of the beam, and a link connection between the othermember and the said supporting means for eifecting rotative movementthereof during oscillation of the beam, the link connection to thepinion member being eccentric thereof.

In testimony whereof we, the said F LOYI) V. KEssnLMAN and LOUIS P.KEssELMAN have hereunto set our hands.

FLOYD V. KESSELMAN. LOUIS P. KESSELMAN.

